


Fix, The

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-08
Updated: 2002-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: "Don't underestimate what you did - what you do everyday - for this administration."





	Fix, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**The Fix**

**by:** Evelyn

**Disclaimer:** Aaron Sorkin owns everything

**Category:** Vignette, Josh  & Donna

**Spoilers:** Absolutely everything through Season 3. This is what I would hope Mr. Sorkin will give us in the season finale. Well, actually what I would hope is that Amy would be hit by a bus, but OK, I'm a realist. Here's how I'd like to see this season end between Josh and Donna. 

**Rating:** YTEEN

**Author's Note:** Thanks to Rhonda for her help, and to Shelley for listening to my rants and again offering reassuring insight into Mr. Sorkin's brain. 

"Do you know how much shit I've taken in the last three days? Do you know how hard I worked to put together that fragile coalition in the first place?" Congressman Pintero snapped, venting his frustration at the person he held responsible for the mess, Josh Lyman. 

"I know," Josh said wearily, then added somewhat defensively, "But it's not like we were going to be able to slip through marriage incentives without taking some flack." 

"Yeah, but the heads-up you gave your girlfriend gave their side time to marshal their forces," Pintero said pointedly. "We've been playing catch-up ever since. I've managed to win back 15 votes by promising everything, including my first born, but we're still down 2 votes in the House." 

"What about Shaw?" 

"Oh, please. He's now got a major highway funding bill for his district thanks to this situation....you're not planning on sharing this information too, are you?" Pintero said snidely. 

"No," Josh said curtly. 

"Well I've done everything I can do. You've got to find something to promise those last two votes, but I just don't see what there's left in the vault to offer." Looking straight at the Deputy Chief of Staff, Pintero barked, "This is a major screwup, Lyman. Fix it." 

Josh walked back to his office slowly. He was reviewing what favors he might have left to call on in order to win back the last votes. 

"Donna?" Josh bellowed. There was no answer. He checked her desk and saw it was empty. He moved into his own office and smiled. In the middle of his desk was a new cell phone with a yellow post-it note attached. "I've programmed this with all your speed dial numbers. I had an idea and just need to check something in the research library. Be back in an hour. Donna" 

Josh thought for a moment and punched speed dial 26, checking to see if the last number he'd programmed five months earlier still worked. All he got was a dial tone. Donna hadn't bothered to include Amy's numbers, he thought gratefully. He then punched in another number and heard, "Seaborn." 

"It's me. Are we still on a for a meeting at 2:30?" 

"Yeah. I'll come in my tux for tonight's benefit and leave directly from the meeting." 

"Well the only good thing to come out of this total disaster with the welfare reform bill is not having to sit through five hours of 'The War of the Roses'," Josh said, smiling to himself. "That's true. Is Donna going to go?" 

"No. I told her she should since all the other assistants are going and there's that fancy reception at the Waldorf, but she refused," Josh confided with relief. "I'm going to e-mail you the list of holdouts. Look it over and tell me if you see any chinks in the armor." 

"Okay, see you later." 

After an hour of desperately looking for a political solution, Josh bellowed again for Donna, but there was still no answer. He left her a note saying he was in the Roosevelt Room with Sam, Leo, and Toby. Josh trudged off reluctantly to a meeting where he knew he would, once again, be reamed out for letting this disaster happen in the first place. He didn't need Leo to remind him how he screwed up. He knew better than anyone. 

Sam was sitting at the long conference table looking dapper in his tuxedo. "Toby and Leo will be down in a minute. How are you doing?" he asked with concern. 

Josh shook his head and said, "Like crap. I've been going over this list for an hour and don't see another deal that we can make short of handing over the keys to the White House." 

"Me either," Sam said reluctantly. "How you doing otherwise?" he then asked tentatively. 

"You mean about Amy? It bothers me that yet another relationship in my life has gone straight into the toilet, but surprisingly I'm not all that upset about losing her in particular. I just wanted a life outside these walls, you know, but I couldn't trust her as far I could throw her," he said shaking his head. 

"Well the mistake is not in the trusting, but in whom you trusted," Sam advised. 

Leo and Toby walked into the room, both dressed in tuxedos. "Air Force One leaves in 25 minutes. What do you have?" Leo asked brusquely. 

The four men talked for ten minutes without making any headway. There just weren't any more deals to be made, and they had moved on to how best to spin the defeat. Just then Donna walked into the room. 

"Josh, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked. 

"I'm busy now, Donna, can it wait?' he said impatiently 

"I don't think so," Donna said tentatively. 

"What is it? Just say what you need," Josh said curtly. 

"I think I found a way to get a few more votes," she said quietly. 

All four men snapped to attention. "How?" Josh asked quickly. 

"Well I just checked some funding applications at OMB. Baker, the only representative North Dakota has, is facing a big challenge in this year's election. His constituents want to know what he can do to improve tourism in the State, especially since South Dakota gets 20 times more tourists each year. But if you could channel some dollars into the superconductor project that the University of North Dakota wants to build, then he could run on the money he's brought into the district, and forget about how no tourists are coming for a visit. And if you get Baker some money, you actually end up funding Linwood from South Dakota too because it's a joint program with The University of South Dakota in Vermillion. Those could be your two votes," she ended, somewhat hesitantly, unsure of their reactions. 

"That...that just might work," Josh said slowly. "Yeah, that *will* work. Sam, you know him. Call Baker and tell him that he can count on $5 million more for that project." 

"I'm on it," Sam said as he stood and left the room quickly. 

Leo nodded his head and said with a smile, "That was good, Donna. That was really fine work." Turning to Josh, he said, "You'll take care of ..."and waved his hand to finish his thought. 

"No problem," Josh said with a smile. " We're good. Have fun with Henry," he said with a smirk, the first sign of the old Josh returning. 

Leo and Toby left the room, and Josh and Donna were alone. 

"That was brilliant," Josh said softly. 

"It wouldn't have occurred to me if you hadn't sent me to North Dakota," she countered. 

"Don't do that," Josh said firmly. 

"What?" 

"Don't underestimate what you did - what you do every day - for this administration." Then he added boldly, "What you do for me." Josh smiled and was met, in return, by one from Donna. 

They walked back to his office. The phone was ringing, and Donna picked it up. "Josh Lyman's office." She paused and then said, "Hello, Amy. Yes, he's here, I'll put him on." 

Josh took the phone and motioned for Donna to stay, as she turned to leave the room. 

"What do you want?" Josh asked coldly. Listening for a moment, he finally spoke, "No. There really is nothing to talk about. Good-bye Amy." 

Josh looked over to Donna and smiled. "Come on. Let's nail down this vote and then I'll take you out to dinner. We earned it." 


End file.
